St. Paul daily globe., 1887-08-21

to fire upon the proletary, but to shoot
at his own leader. Johns very. simple
nature did not readily understand who
was that proletary that was to be
spared, but was considerably shocked
at the advice to fire upon his SuperiOrS
He had burned these letters, deeming
them too offensive and dangerous.
Since the strikes had been disturbing
the country during the last month,
the full meaning of his brothers letters
had dawned upon his mind. 1t caused
him no little sorrow when he reflected
that perhaps Peter was enrolled in that
army of rebels. He had written him
kind letters replete with affection and
artless advice, but had received no
answers to them, the workman having
probably removed to some other village.
Since the campaign had opened the
little soldier, who would not have
fiinched in the presence of foreign
enemy, was prey to the horrid fear
that some day he might unwittingly fire
upon that brother, the idol of his affec-
tiOns. 1t was this thought which made
him so anxious and kept him away from
his comrades during the hours of rest,
which put an end to his usual childish
gayety, and which had caused him to
stand so mOtiOnleSS in contemplating
that distant cOnflagratiOn, listening to
the indefinite noises borne along by the
wind, and asking himself, with an an
guish which seemed ready to choke him,
whether his brother would be there.
The soldiers had started off, quicken
ing their step. For moment the ranks
were thrown into disorder by that black
mud which at times formed real pools in
the middle of the way, compelling them
to pass around it in single file, along its
border, for hundred meters or so. The
road would then be leading over the top
of one of these high slopes, planted
with young trees to keep the earth from
washing away altogether.
When the line was reformed John
was missing. His name was called, but he
did not answer. The men began whiS-
pering to each other :SOme knew the un-
eaSineSS of the young soldier, and i'm
mediately supposed that he had taken
his flight so as not to be compelled to
fire upon the workmen.
The Sub-lieutenant SwOre furiOuSly on
account of this deSertiOn; but it was no
time to think of pursuing the runaway.
In the darkness hiding was so easy that
it would be losing time, and, besides,
the platoon was in a great hurry to reach
the glass works.
After calling him once again, the sol
dierS resumed their march, and soon
the sound of their footsteps was the only
noise breaking the stiffness of the night.
The young soldier had not deserted.
While his companions were calling him
he was lyiifg unconscious at the foot of
the declivity across the top OF which the
highway ran.
John was thunderstruck when, on re-
Oaininn hic ha fOnn6 hImcQIf
lying there, benumbed and covered with
mud. How had he slipped? How had
he rolled down there?
He listened, but heard no sound.
His comrades must not have seen him
fall.
He remembered that he had been a
little way behind the others, and re-
flected that in the face of SO binding a
rain it was quite possible that his fall
might have passed unnOticed.
He tried to get up, but an atrOciouS
pain seemed to pin him to the earth.
His left leg was like bar of lead, and
at every motion it caused him to cry out
aloud.
Then he got frightened on thinking
that he was wounded and all alone. in
that black country. Were they going
to abandon him there?
He had raised himself upon one elbow,
but let himself fall back heavily. His
shake had caught on to something dur
ing his fall, leaving him bareheaded to
the cold rain, which drenched his short,
curly, fair hair, of which he was so
proud. Poor John! Who would have
recognized in the unfortunate being
stretched-at full length in the mud the
dainty little Spltfier, always so taste
fully primped Up, and who invariably
caught the eyes of all the women on the
promenade? ~
He suffered so atrociously that he did
not have courage enough to examine
himself and try to find out the extent of
his injury. HisA whole leg felt as if it
had been ground up in mill. And
still, it might not'be SO serious. He re-
membered5 that, once upon a time, he
had felt that same feeling of general
soreness, caused by a violent blow from
a stick. 1t might. not amount to any
thing, and yet he could not remain
there, lying in theimud and water, shiv-
ering with cold. He would eventually
go to sleep, and the next morning they
would find him there, dead! He did not
wish to die! What! be found there, in
the mud, like dead dog? Cost what it
may he had to get back to the road and
wait till some one came along. In short,
it was not such great undertaking,
only ten meters to go!
What a torture those ten meters were
to him, as, with the aid of trees, roots
and rocks, dragging his lifeless leg
along, he tried to get up to the road at
the top of the slope. Twenty times he
came near giving up: twenty times he
was on the point of lying where he was
and waiting-even for death! But his
youth rebelled against the idea; love of
life seemed to urge him on, and at
length he reached the road. His
strength was failing fast, and all he
could hope for now was that somebody
might come along before it was too
late.
Time dragged on so heavily for the
wretched man that seconds seemed to
him eternities.
Fever kept him awake, his feet were
frozen, his head as if on fire, all his
body shaking with shiver which
caused insutferable twitches to run
through his leg. He no longer had
strength. enough to cry out, and he
could only give vent to his sufferingS in
low means.
All of a sudden, while under the in
fuence of kind of nightmare, he heard
voices singing. He listened. 1t was
salvation, it was life, because they were
coming his way. o, but how slowly
they seemed to walk! At last. he could
distinguish in the darkness the forms
of five men. walking arm in arm. When
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